Cartons

ABSTRACT

A box-board carton for containing a pack of sheets to be fed to a copying machine or the like is adapted to be applied to a feeding cassette for insertion into the intake of such machine. The carton is provided with a tear strip and certain easy tear lines for stripping away certain forward portions thereof for access to the sheets during feeding. Tongues are struck from the bottom panel of the carton to provide openings for interlocking with projections on such a cassette, whereby the carton cannot be withdrawn from the caseette without destroying the carton.

[ 1 Sept. 25, 1973 1 CARTONS [75] Inventor:

3,263,900 8/1966 Link et 3,389,852 6/1968 3,599,858 8/1971 Samsing North Charles W. Rosenburg, Jr Tonawanda, NY.

[73] Assignee: F.N. Burt Company, Inc., Buffalo, Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead N.Y. Attorney-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson [22] Filed: May 26, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT A box-board carton for containing a pack of sheets to be fed to a copying machine or the like is ada Appl. No.: 146,964

pted to be appliedto a feeding cassette for insertion into the intake of such machine. The carton is provided with a tear strip and certain easy tear lines for stripping away certain forward portions thereof for access to the 64 8 M54 5 1 2 n5 2M 6.a2 B 2 .m; 1 7 3 2 S mm T D 1 u n/ 6 m0 9 m 2 "u 2 m mfn C r n a n e H S L m 1 s .m Uw rF 3 1 555 References Cited sheets during feeding. Tongues are struck from the bot- UNITED STATES PATENTS tom panel of the carton to provide openings for interlocking with projections on such a casse tte, whereby aseette with- 271/61 X the carton cannot be withdrawn from the c out destroying the carton.

221/46 3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures S2 3 5.0. Em 6 0 m2 3,367,487 Dwyer, Jr. 3,076,590 Petryk et al.......

6/1933 Schwartz et al. 9/1967 Peebles.................................

PATENIED SEP25I973 SHEET 3 OF 3 mm r:- g a S s,

CARTONS This invention relates to a folding container or carton, preferably made of box-board or the like and adapted to contain a pack of sheets of paper or the like for storage, transportation, or sale, and more specifically useful in connection with a metal or plastic cassette for cooperating in feeding successive sheets therefrom into a handling or treating machine, such as copier.

The carton forming the subject of the present invention may conveniently be used in connection with the cassette which is the subject of the application of Byrne and Mulvany Ser. No. 146,963, filed May 26, I971 to provide the novel combination disclosed in the application of Rosenburg, Byrne, and Mulvany Ser. No. 146,306, filed May 24, 1971.

The invention, in its preferred embodiments, contemplates the provision of a flat preferably rectangular carton, provided with novel closure means for the containment of the paper prior to feeding, and which may be readily removed along convenient tear lines for introduction into the cassette.

Other features of novelty include friction means provided on ahinged portion of the carton as a retarding device for the bottom of the pack, and certain flange portions providing means for so interlocking with cooperating portions of the cassette, when the two elements are conjoined, that any attempt to separate them with result in the destruction of the carton by tearing or bursting along previously prepared weakened lines. Reuse of the carton is thereby prevented.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a carton, embodying certain aspects of the invention, is made;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 1, ready to receive a pack of paper;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of the filled carton, closed for transportation and sale;

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the package with a portion of the carton torn away along certain tear lines and with the forward end portion of the pack of paper exposed;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a cassette for holding the package during the feeding of the successive papers into the handling or copying machine;

FIG. 6 is a view of the cassette in side elevation;

FIG. 7 is a view of the cassette in vertical transverse section taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective, showing the insertion of the copy paper package into the cassette;

FIG. 9 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the loaded cassette during feeding of the sheets into the treating machine; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the forward end of the loaded cassette indicating the function of a novel top sheet separating feature.

In feeding sheets of copy paper into a copying machine from a box-board carton, accuracy requires a high degree of dimensional stability of the package,a higher degree of stability especially in the transverse direction, than is afforded by the walls of the carton itself, especially when the package has been subjected to conditions of moisture or humidity which could swell or warp the walls.

Also in certain cases, it is desirable that measures be taken to prevent reuse of the carton.

Both of these requirements are met by the present development.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings, a blank 10 is provided for forming the carton for containing the pack, and it will be seen that the blank comprises the top panel 11 and the bottom panel 12 connected by the side wall panel 13. An opposite side wall panel'14 adjoins the outer edge of the bottom panel and carries a glue flap 15 adapted to be secured to the underside of the marginal portion of the top panel 11.

1 Fold lines a, b, c, and d serve to hinge the panels 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 together in that order.

Flaps for closing the carton after the pack of sheets has been'inserted are provided as follows:

rear closure flaps l7 and 18 hinged to the top and bottom panels 11 and 12 respectively, and dust flaps 19 and 20 similarly hinged to the side panels 13 and 14. Front end closing flaps 21 and 22 are hinged to the front edges of the top and bottom panels, and there are no dust flaps at this end of the carton in this particular embodiment.

When the carton is erected by gluing the flap 15 to the under-edge of top panel 11, it appears as in FIG. 2 of the drawings and is in condition for receiving the pack of sheets (designated S in FIGS. 4, 8, 9, and 10). The filled and sealed package is shown in FIG. 3, in which condition it is stored, transported, or placed on sale.

Returning to the showing of the blank 10 in FIG. 1, it will be seen that the following relatively soft tear lines are provided: line 25 along the forward portion of fold or hinge a, line 26 along the forward portion of hinge line d, and the diagonal tear lines 27 and 28 crossing an intermediate portion of the respective side wall panels 13 and 14. Also the front closure flap 22 is joined to the section 36, and the section 36 is further subdivided by,

means of the fold or hinge line 37 to delineate, along with the tear line 29 and the fully cut lines 38 and 39, the area 40, the function of which will be described later.

In addition to the cut lines 38 and 39, additional cut lines are made at 42 along fold d and at 43 and 44 to define the three sides of the two interlock tabs 45 and 46, these tabs being hinged along the fold lines 47 and 48, aligned with the central tear line 34.

To complete the description of the blank 10, it can be seen that a tear strip 50 is formed in the material of the top panel 11, the tear strip being bounded by the tear lines 51 and 52, and having a slightly projecting tab end 53 adapted to be grasped by the fingers in opening the package. A pair of quite soft tear lines 54 and 55 are provided at the tab end of the strip to facilitate starting the tear.

When the package of paper in carton is received in the condition shown in FIG. 3, the tab end 53 of the tear strip 50 is grasped between thumb and forefinger and raised to burst the starter tear lines 54 and $5 and then the principal irregular tear lines 51 and 52 to free the tear strip and also break the forward portion Ma loose. Further tearing along lines 25 and 26 removes the portion lla and its flap 21 entirely together with the flap 22 by severing the tear line 29. This leaves the package in the condition shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, exposing the forward end of the pack S and freeing the forward section 44) of the bottom panel 312 to hingedly support the intermediate portions of the forward end of the pack S.

At this point, it will be well to describe the cooperating member of the sheet feeding combination, the eassette 60, by reference to the remaining figures of drawmg.

The novel cassette 60 comprises a rectangular panlike or tray-like receptacle with a bottom wall 61 and a front wall 62. Extending rearwardly from the front wall 62 are the shortened side walls 63 which are flared outwardly as indicated at 64.

Straddling the side walls 63 are the inverted V- shaped clips 65, the outer legs 66 of which are secured to the outer surfaces of the walls 62 as by spot welding suggested at 67. The inner legs 70 of the clips 65 take the form of somewhat flexible blades which serve to guide and center the pack S as will be described presently.

It will be noted from FIG. 7 that the greater intermediate portion of the front wall 62 of the cassette is slightly lower than the other walls, and at each end of the front wall there are fixed the narrow vertical plates 72 with triangular horizontal flanges 73 at the upper ends thereof. Also a small plate 75 is secured centrally of the inner surface of front wall 62.

Through the bottom panel 61 of the cassette are bored the openings 76 and flanges are struck upwardly therefrom as shown at 80.

After the front closure portions of the carton 100 have been stripped therefrom, the carton with its pack of sheets S is inserted into the cassette 60 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The forward ends of side walls 13 and 14 of the carton are inserted within the side walls 63 of the cassette, the flared ends of these walls acting as guides. The blades 70 enter the carton and, embracing the pack S, replace the carton walls 13 and 14 as lateral guides for the pack, thus insuring lateral dimensional stability.

Further movement of the carton and pack into the cassette brings the front edge of the pack up against the plate 75 insuring the maintenance of a slight air space to assist in freeing the sheets. At the same time the bottom panel of the carton slides over the flanges 80 struck from the bottom wall of the cassette, until the tabs 46 practically coincide with the flanges 80 and the rearwardly facing edges 85 of the portion of the area 36 immediately in front of the tabs 46 drops down in front of the raised ends of the flanges 80. (see FIG. 9.)

This interlocking arrangement effectively prevents the removal of the carton from the cassette without destroying the former. Any attempt to pull the carton backwardly will cause the flanges 80 to ripthe portions 36 and 40 of the bottom panel of the carton and the forward side wall portions along the tear lines 27, 28, and 34.

The device thus described may be used in conjunction with many types of sheet feeding means, such as suggested by the feed rolls carried on rotatable shaft 91, and the pack S may be maintained at the proper feed level for the current top sheet as the pile decreases, by means of the fixed pins which project through the holes 76 in the bottom wall of the cassette, and maintain the hinged panel 40 in an upward position.

As the uppermost sheet s is fed forwardly, its lateral front corners are tripped by the small triangular plates or flanges 73 and the sheet is slightly buckled as shown and flicked into easy separation from the remaining sheets in the pile.

In order to apply a certain amount of retaining friction against the lower surface of the bottom sheet of the pile, the upper surface of the hinged panel 40 may be roughened as suggested at 97.

I claim:

1. A carton for containing and dispensing a pack of sheets to be fed into a handling or treating machine, said carton being of the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped and having a top panel and a bottom panel, and opposite side wall panels, and front and rear end closures, a tear strip extending across the top panel nearer the forward end thereof, and easy tear lines extending from the ends of said tear strip forwardly of the carton along the upper forward edges of the side panels all the way to the forward ends of the said side panels and an easy tear line along the junction of the bottom panel and the front end closure, so that the forward end portion of the top panel and the attached elements of the front closure may be readily torn away to give free access to the front portions of a pack for feeding the sheets therefrom leaving practically the entire length of the side wall panels intact, for example, for cooperation with guide means for the fed sheets.

2. The carton as set forth in claim 1, in which a forward portion of the bottom panel is connected with the main portion thereof by a hinge line, but with its side margins free, and is initially connected with said front end closure by means of at least a portion of the said second mentioned easy tear line between the bottom panel and the said closure, whereby said forward portion of the bottom panel can be freed to be inclined upwardly with respect to the main part of the bottom panel to elevate the forward end of the back to facilitate sheet feeding.

3. A carton for containing and dispensing a pack of sheets to be fed into a handling or treating machine, said carton being of the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped and having a top panel and a bottom panel, and opposite side wall panels, and front and rear end closures, easy tear lines extending transversely across the top panel isolating a forward portion thereof, extending along the junction of said forward portion and the upper forward edges of the side panels, and extending along the junction of the bottom wall and the forward end closure, at least one cut made in said bottom panel for interlocking engagement with a cooperating sheetfed facilitating device, and tear lines extending from said cut transversely across said bottom panel and said side wall panels, whereby attempted withdrawal of the carton from said device will result in ripping the forward portions of these panels from the remainder of the carton thus preventing reuse thereof. 

1. A cartOn for containing and dispensing a pack of sheets to be fed into a handling or treating machine, said carton being of the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped and having a top panel and a bottom panel, and opposite side wall panels, and front and rear end closures, a tear strip extending across the top panel nearer the forward end thereof, and easy tear lines extending from the ends of said tear strip forwardly of the carton along the upper forward edges of the side panels all the way to the forward ends of the said side panels and an easy tear line along the junction of the bottom panel and the front end closure, so that the forward end portion of the top panel and the attached elements of the front closure may be readily torn away to give free access to the front portions of a pack for feeding the sheets therefrom leaving practically the entire length of the side wall panels intact, for example, for cooperation with guide means for the fed sheets.
 2. The carton as set forth in claim 1, in which a forward portion of the bottom panel is connected with the main portion thereof by a hinge line, but with its side margins free, and is initially connected with said front end closure by means of at least a portion of the said second mentioned easy tear line between the bottom panel and the said closure, whereby said forward portion of the bottom panel can be freed to be inclined upwardly with respect to the main part of the bottom panel to elevate the forward end of the back to facilitate sheet feeding.
 3. A carton for containing and dispensing a pack of sheets to be fed into a handling or treating machine, said carton being of the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped and having a top panel and a bottom panel, and opposite side wall panels, and front and rear end closures, easy tear lines extending transversely across the top panel isolating a forward portion thereof, extending along the junction of said forward portion and the upper forward edges of the side panels, and extending along the junction of the bottom wall and the forward end closure, at least one cut made in said bottom panel for interlocking engagement with a cooperating sheet-fed facilitating device, and tear lines extending from said cut transversely across said bottom panel and said side wall panels, whereby attempted withdrawal of the carton from said device will result in ripping the forward portions of these panels from the remainder of the carton thus preventing reuse thereof. 